However, there’s one primary benefit of being on the Rock Content blog as opposed to the other websites — we’ve corroborated our facts from experts and gotten advice from them on how to ensure your topic clusters and pillar pages‌ drive fruitful results. 

If your main aim is to learn how to not only create topic clusters and pillar pages but how to create them so that you improve your search engine optimization (SEO) and enhance user experience, you’re on the right page!

Step 1: Identify User Intent and Select a Pillar Topic With Broad Intent

First thing first — you’ll need to begin researching to understand the kind of content your audience wants to read. SEMRush suggests considering things like:

• What type of topics has your target audience liked historically? 
• What are the things they care about? [You can find out this data by using social listening tools]
• What pillar topics are my competitors focusing on? [Emily Onkey, CMO at Aplos, suggests beginning with a competitive content analysis of your competitor’s highest-performing content containing the keywords you want to target.]
• Which type of content is important for my brand? 

Once that’s done, create a list of topics you think can become a pillar and figure out if you can contribute enough information to each cluster and create a strategy around it. 

On the strategy side of things, consider questions like, would you create different content pieces for different topic clusters and keywords, or would you create one type of content to satisfy the search intent of different topic clusters? 

For example, when faced with this question, Drift, a B2B conversational platform, went ahead with the latter option. 

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Maya Kislykh, content marketing manager at involve.me, said the pillar topics should have informational search intent, traffic potential, and should maintain a broad scope. She ideally suggests targeting long-tail keywords with a keyword difficulty score between 0–12.  

Step 2: Shortlist Topic Clusters for the Pillar and Create Quality Content

Once you’re done identifying the pillar page topic, then comes the task of finding topic clusters and planning content. We suggest using keyword research tools from SEMRush, Ahrefs, SE Ranking, Moz, Keyword Planner, etc., to make the process easier. 

The goal? Identify the main topics that your audience is interested in. Then, create comprehensive guides or resources for each one. 

For example, if you are a pet-related website, you might have a pillar page about pet health and wellness, and then create topic clusters around subtopics such as pet nutrition, pet grooming, pet training, and the cost of pet insurance.

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Each topic cluster should link back to the pillar page and other relevant topic clusters, creating a web of interlinked content that covers the main topic in depth. This way, you can provide value to your readers, boost your authority on the topic, and improve your SEO rankings.

Focusing on related topics like these shows search engines that you have authority and expertise, pushing your posts further, thus increasing your SEO score. 

With that being said, some experts also said to ignore topics that don’t directly satisfy the burning questions of your customers/leads or showcase the importance of your product/service. 

Charlotte Chamblin, the content strategist at Tao Digital Marketing, shared a few pointers on how to create topic clusters:

• Start with one. Focus on a single hub, using keyword and query research tools to dive deep into a range of short-term FAQs and long-tail, low-volume queries. 

• Filter your chosen content into TOFU, MOFU, and BOFU, and start by creating pieces from a mix of the, uploading, and indexing as soon as possible.

• Ensure every page is internally linked to the pillar page/s and to other supportive content wherever possible (but only where it makes sense). The more in-depth the hub, the more authoritative your site will be in Google’s, and users, eyes. 

• Expect a hub to be a minimum of 20 pieces, but this can very easily triple or more for larger topics.

In an article published by Wix SEO Hub, Jonas Sicker, an SEO thought leader, suggested creating spreadsheets for topic clusters that include blog category, topic cluster name, blog post topic, and keywords listed in it to ensure all your data stays in one place. 

Just a friendly PSA: When it comes to strategizing, you should first identify the pillar posts and then shortlist topic clusters. But when you’re in the middle of execution, experts like Charlotte have suggested creating content for topic clusters first and then building up the pillar posts. 

And when you start to do that, think of all the ways you can beat competition for the same topic. Aka, what can you do more than them to grab the attention of your readers? Here are a few suggestions: 

• Add your zing of expertise (i.e., what topics can you write about or what insights can you share that your competitors won’t be able to?).
• Focus on buyer intent instead of promoting your product/service.
• Share your unique brand story and/or experiences.
• Have a tone of voice, style guide, and company branding different from your competitors.
• Employ writing best practices (structure, hooks, use of easy words, etc.).
• Using smart copywriting techniques (consider the example below).

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Step 3: Begin Linking — Both Internally and Externally

If you link internally, you improve the user experience for your readers (think of all the times you went doom-scrolling on Wikipedia because of their interlinking strategy) and reduce the bounce rate. 

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If you add a link externally, it shows the search engine (and the reader) the topic was well-researched. 

A good mix of internal and external links eventually improves your SEO score, as the algorithm accounts for how credible your content is depending on the places you link it to. 

But how does it help from an SEO standpoint? Internal links build a solid site architecture to aid search engine spiders in efficiently discovering and indexing your content. 

By organizing your website through topic clusters, you provide a clear and logical structure, making it easier for search engines to recognize the relevance and authority of your content within the broader topic you choose.

An excellent example of this strategy in action is MOS, a money app tailored for students. They effectively leverage topic clusters by creating compelling content that revolves around various topics of interest to students, such as “how to write a financial aid appeal letter.” 

Within this central theme, MOS develops sub-contents, covering subjects like:

• Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FASFA)
• Financial aid award letters
• Appealing the financial decision

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By strategically interlinking these articles and pages, MOS ensures that search engines recognize the depth and breadth of their expertise on financial aid. 

When linking, some of the best practices you can follow are:

• Ensuring the link topic and the anchor text satisfy the same search intent.
• Considering hierarchy when you link to a different page (e.g. if you introduce jargon in a blog, link to “what is jargon” instead of “difference between jargon and another jargon). 
• Avoiding excessive links (the crawl limit on a page is 100). 
• Linking to the pages you want to rank higher. 

Step 4: Address Other Parts of Content Creation to Boost SEO Score

Hire a content writer to create the best and top-quality content. And once you write the content, your work doesn’t end there. You need to also focus on data storytelling to ensure you do justice to the written content. 

What does this mean, you ask? You’ll need to ensure you:

• Add an appropriate amount of visuals like pictures, infographics, charts, and QR codes to make the reader understand the topic. 
• Keep structural issues in mind when publishing content (readers love to skim content and will usually only read the headlines). Also, many readers are now opting to read content on their mobile phones — so content has to be mobile-friendly too. 
• Hone in on the requirements of technical SEO best practices. 
• The content isn’t just valuable but also engaging (consider things like does it have a conversational tone, is easy to read, and has added examples and insights?)
• Have adhered to accessibility standards, so everyone can easily access it. 

Step 5: Regularly Test and Update Your Old Content

Suppose you’ve gone through the whole nine yards of figuring out a pillar post, identifying topic clusters, creating content, linking to it, and adhering to the other different parts of content creation — now, the next task up the list is to regularly test and update the content. 

This may be two-fold as you’ll need to:

1. Understand the SERP ranking for each topic, figure out the bounce rate, perceive audience reaction, and keep a close eye on the overall metrics.

2. Refresh the content, as the stats or examples you may have used would have become dated.  

Once you grow your website and scale your content capacity, it’s easy to get lost behind the ideation and content creation process of new topics. However, refreshing old content can help you boost your credibility and SEO rankings. You’re only as strong as your weakest blog post. And pruning an old piece of content can boost your organic traffic tenfold. 

Besides, you’ll also end up finding out which topics customers enjoy most and which are the most convert-worthy, and you can then write about similar topics and even think about creating and scheduling Instagram posts about them.

Publish Content That Gets Noticed With Rock Content

As a company that primarily helps ‌content marketers, there’s no one better than us to understand the importance of content organization and SEO results — and that’s because our customers have voiced concerns about both topics before they opted to subscribe to our services. 

If you, too, are left scratching your head, wondering how and when you’ll begin and end the process of creating relevant content for your topic clusters such that it converts, you couldn’t have arrived at a better place than this — because that’s exactly what we do here. 

Regardless of your content creation challenges, we have a solution for you here — for example, our portal WriterAccess will partner you with the best freelancers, we have consultants who can address and alleviate your doubts, and our Studio solution will allow you to collaborate with your all your team members and stakeholders in real-time!

Are you ready to climb the search engine rankings?

The post How to Implement SEO Topic Clusters and Pillar Pages for Improved Content Organization and SEO Results appeared first on Rock Content.

Yes! The major updates will gain a name, after all, the algorithm is being updated constantly than before.

And if this news took you by surprise(and you don’t sign the The Beat), your website traffic is probably already suffering. Marketers and entrepreneurs who are prepared and connected to what’s new in content marketing are not anxious about each Google newsletter, as they are already delivering quality content to their buyer persona.

Did you want a summary of what I’m going to cover in this article? It’s simple: producing quality content for your buyer persona!

In this article, we dive into what we know so far about this October update and how Rock Content views Google’s core algorithm updates. If you want to be one step ahead in SEO strategies and understand the possible impacts of this change, keep reading.

What is the October Google Core Update?

On 10/05, Google officially announced yet another major algorithm update. This means that Google has made a new significant overhaul to its algorithm classification of search results, to improve the quality of information available on the web.

The announcement took place on X, announcing that the distribution deadline for this update is two weeks, according to the company.

What are the possible impacts of this new major update?

It’s difficult to predict this update’s focus when Google doesn’t release further details. In the case of Helpful Content, the article giving details about the update was published along with the announcement on the page of incidents.

In the announcement of this new major update, the attached page links to the page that explains what the major updates are.

To make matters worse, another update is happening at the same time: the October 2023 Spam Update. This fact makes it difficult for experts to analyze, as the impact on traffic could be due to any of the updates.

What we can try to do is conjecture the focus of the October core update by looking at previous communications. For example, take a look at the Helpful Content Update announcement timeline below:

2022 – How to create useful, authoritative, people-first content: the page about useful content was created and this is not the time when Google talks about prioritizing the reader when creating content.

08/18/2022 – article about “What Content Creators Need to Know About Google’s August 2022 Useful Content Update”.

04/19/2023 – The role of page experience in creating useful content: The topic of useful content came back in this article, even when the topic focused on page experience.

09/14/2023 – Google Search useful content system and your website: and finally the update announcement came.

Now, if we look at Google’s announcements in parallel to the announcements about useful content and spam, we have:

12/15/2022 – Our latest update to quality rater guidelines: E-A-T receives an additional E for Experience.

04/19/2023 – I already talked about the article “The role of page experience in creating useful content” bringing news about user experience to Google Search Console reports.

05/10/2023 – INP presentation for Core Web Vitals: company announcement about a big change to Core Web Vitals, switching FID by INP.

10/05/2023 – October 2023 core update: announcement of this core update, with the same five months between an article and the Helpful Content update.

Will we see greater attention to user experience in the coming years? This is just conjecture, but experience has already impacted SEO and they are not looking at it as they should.

How does Rock Content view Google algorithm updates?

Quality content for the buyer persona

The first thing I need to tell you is that Rockers don’t tremble when faced with Google’s update announcements. This is because, even though Rock produces content at scale, we are focused on quality.

And search engine updates are nothing more than an incentive for all of us to organize information. To achieve this, the information needs to be: reliable, accessible, and pleasant for the user to absorb.

Examples of this in our operation are the evaluation system for our talents that provides feedback from entrepreneurs and experts to improve content. And the training of our team that never stops training the best professionals on the market.

Observing trends in content marketing

Although we focus on the quality of the text, other technical elements that arise with Google updates enable us to increase the performance of the blogs we manage.

For example, a few years ago people didn’t look at updates to old content as much as they do today. Mature blogs tend to have articles that are essential for traffic, but that are more than two years old. Over time, if they are not updated, they will lose relevance, as Google understands that that information is outdated.

Nowadays, updates are a common practice in our content strategy.

Rockers produce content, create training and webinars, test new strategies and to this end, consuming news and being aware of trends is part of our routine. And looking at Google updates is nothing more than a sign of where we should pay attention.

The golden tip here is to anticipate these main updates, monitoring web traffic volatility.

Bet on experience

I am a “user experience bore” and I am deeply bothered by blogs that take a long time to load, fill my screen with pop-ups, or have usability defects. One time I was reading blog content and noticed the text scrolling up by itself. How does this company want me to stay on their blog?

With some frequency, Rock consultants observe improvements in experience and technical SEO that need attention, otherwise, no miracle content can be saved.

One of the ways that Rock found to innovate in experience is to change the way content is consumed. With interactive content, we deliver engagement and connection with the public.

So what can we say we learned after reading this? The Core Google updates are not a big deal.

Remember to monitor trends, anticipate updates, and track traffic volatility. This text summary highlights the importance of remaining agile and quality-focused in an ever-evolving SEO environment. See you in the next update!

Do you want to stay tuned with the best Marketing practices? Then, sign up for The Beat, Rock Content’s interactive newsletter. There, you will find all the trends that matter in the Digital Marketing scenario. I’ll see you there!

The post October Google Core Update: What we know so far and how we’re taking it appeared first on Rock Content.

Well, that’s far from the daily grind of an SEO pro at Rock Content, or anywhere else for that matter!

I’d love to spill all the beans about my job, but that’d be a whole ebook! So, let’s dive into the core tasks.

Here’s a peek into the daily life of an SEO expert at Rock Content. Get ready for a fun ride!

What Does an SEO Specialist Do In General?

To start off, let’s delve into some of the tasks that SEO specialists typically handle. Here’s a list of 10 common responsibilities:

• Keyword Research: Identifying relevant keywords to target in content and optimization efforts.

• On-Page Optimization: Optimizing web pages, including meta tags, headings, and content, for search engines.

• Content Creation: Developing high-quality, SEO-friendly content to improve rankings and engage audiences.

• Link Building: Acquiring quality backlinks to boost a website’s authority and visibility.

• Technical SEO: Enhancing website performance through tasks like improving site speed, mobile-friendliness, and schema markup.

• Competitor Analysis: Studying competitors’ strategies and identifying opportunities for improvement.

• Analytics and Reporting: Monitoring website performance, traffic, and SEO metrics to track progress.

• Algorithm Updates: Staying informed about search engine algorithm changes and adapting strategies accordingly.

• SEO Audits: Conducting comprehensive audits to identify and address issues affecting website ranking and performance.

• Local SEO: Optimizing for local search to improve visibility for geo-specific queries and attract nearby customers

But what about me?

As you can see, an SEO professional usually does a lot. So, in this blog, I’ll delve into the core tasks that occupy my days. 

You know, they are a real rollercoaster. 

These tasks, and a bunch more, are sprinkled throughout the month, and fitting them all into a single day? Mission impossible!

But hey, the title of this article is “A Day in The Life of An SEO Expert at Rock Content,” and I’m not one to break promises. 

So, how about we get a little imaginative? Let’s envision a day that magically stretches to 176 hours – that’s about the average I put into work each month. 

With limitless imagination, I can share more about my SEO routine. Buckle up!

Keyword Research to Start The Day

In charge of our blog’s evergreen content, my SEO teammate and I have a Slack channel where we brainstorm topic ideas. 

We draw inspiration from competitors, keep tabs on sales discussions, and think about what our buyer persona would like to read. 

When it’s time to plan our editorial calendar, I go into that channel and start thinking of keywords that relate to the topics we’ve added. 

Then, I turn to SEMrush to check, for example, how hard it is to rank for these keywords (keyword difficulty), how many searches they generate (their search volume), and why people are searching for them (their search intent). 

I also look for other related keywords and phrases we can use in our content.

Another tool I find helpful is AnswerThePublic, which tells what questions people are asking about specific keywords.

Besides, I rely on basic Google searches for insights. I pay close attention to the auto-complete suggestions that appear as I type, and the “People Also Ask” feature is another great resource. 

All this helps me gain a better understanding of the questions our audience might have and work on answering them.

With all this information, I plan out our editorial calendar and decide what content will be created.

Content Creation and Management to Keep the Morning Going

I might let you down a bit by saying that we don’t actually create most of our content. Although, we do create some, just like the very article you’re reading now.

It would be quite a heavy lift to generate the current amount of content if we did it all in-house.

Instead, we craft comprehensive content briefs and send them off to our trusted writers on WriterAccess.

Read also: Rocking Content Scaling: Our Step-by-Step Process

Hanging out on WriterAccess

I won’t dive into the nitty-gritty of our content briefs’ creation process since there are a few articles on that (like this one), but I encourage you to learn more about it.

Lately, the game has been changing with the launch of the AI Content Wizard, but the human touch is still essential.

In our content marketplace, WriterAccess, I place orders and enjoy getting in touch with our talented writers.

I provide feedback on each of their pieces and request revisions when the content doesn’t reach Rock Content’s quality standards. 

Read also: 5 Ways to Utilize AI Content Wizard for Enhanced Campaigns

WordPress time

When the content looks good and needs just a few tweaks, I copy it to WordPress and dive into more on-page SEO techniques beyond keyword research. 

This includes things like crafting metadata, incorporating/optimizing multimedia elements, checking keyword frequency, and reviewing the links within the content. 

We use WordPress, and it’s handy because we can plug in tools like Yoast to get tips on improving readability and making the content more SEO-friendly. 

Tools like these don’t handle everything on their own, though, and good SEO and linguistic knowledge are a must for any marketer who deals with content.

Content time travel

In the world of SEO, simply publishing new content isn’t enough; we’ve got to give some love to the old stuff too. 

Refreshing our older articles is a way of showing our readers that we’re committed to providing them with top-notch content.

And it’s not just about making our readers happy; it’s also about staying relevant and meeting our audience’s search intent to rank higher on the SERP. Honestly, I find this task quite enjoyable. 

It’s like a treasure hunt, where I spot areas that need improvement, add fresh insights, fact-check, and enhance grammar and readability.

I won’t lie, doing a full makeover on an article can be time-consuming. There was one time when I invested a solid five hours revamping an article from 2016. I couldn’t help but wonder if starting from scratch might have been quicker.

To save time, we’ve got a trick up our sleeves: quick wins. These are mini-makeovers that take no more than an hour. 

I typically focus on polishing the metadata, refining grammar, optimizing keyword usage and images, and adding new CTAs that align with our current strategy.

Our efforts in refreshing content have been paying off. Just take a look below. When we compare the traffic stats of an article before and after a full update or quick win, the results are exciting. 

A whopping 529.59% increase in traffic is definitely worth the few minutes to a few hours we invest.

Some SEO Auditing After Lunch

Fixing problems is my specialty, as you already know. Isn’t it satisfying to see broken things come back to life?

Besides the content issues mentioned in the previous section, as part of our routine, we tackle more technical aspects such as:

• Duplicate Content: Identify and resolve duplicate content issues within the site.

• Crawl Errors: Address crawl errors like broken links and 404 pages.

• Mobile Friendliness: Ensure the site is responsive and mobile-friendly.

• Schema Markup: Implement structured data to enhance rich snippets in search results.

• URL Structure: Check and optimize URL structure for SEO-friendliness.

• Robots.txt File: Review and optimize the robots.txt file for proper indexing.

• Canonical Tags: Implement canonical tags to address duplicate content issues.

• Content Gaps: Identify gaps in content and develop a content strategy to fill them.

Lately, my teammates and I have been dedicating extra time to addressing indexation problems, particularly 404 errors.

It occurs when a user or search engine attempts to access a web page that doesn’t exist or has been removed, resulting in a “page not found” error. 

If not fixed, it can negatively impact a site’s crawlability and overall SEO performance. To address this, we implemented hundreds of redirects.

What About Some Metrics For Snack?

As an SEO expert, I must be best friends with Google Analytics and Google Search Console (at the very least).

There’s no room for guessing games. Marketers in general need to rely on data to plan their next steps.

Some of the data I keep an eye on include:

• Our blog traffic in relation to monthly and quarterly goals.
• The performance of new articles in terms of traffic.
• Traffic performance following updates and quick wins.
• The number of sessions by North American users (the market we’re targeting).
• The number of conversions (users who clicked on WriterAccess’ trial link) and the pages they came from.
• Keyword behavior (new, lost, improved, and declined keywords’ volume and quality).
• Our top-performing pages.
• Sessions and trials originating from backlinks.

We share and discuss them in monthly meetings where we plan the next steps.

Replying to Partners as The Sun Goes Down

Contact outreach is an integral part of my routine at Rock Content. 

I won’t lie, most of the time, partners come to us seeking collaborations, and I spend a significant portion of my time researching and responding to their emails.

Some have already partnered with Rock Content in the past and email us to request new collaborations, as is the case with HubSpot:

Under these circumstances, it’s a no-brainer. We are aware of their reputation, are used to link to their content and the collaboration flows smoothly.

On the other hand, lots of unknown SEO specialists slide into our DMs, all like, “Hey, wanna trade links?” Well, that’s when we put on our detective hats and get down to business!

First things first, we gotta make sure they’re not up to any sneaky link-building schemes. Then, we check out their domain – does it have some serious authority? Is their content vibing with ours? Do we have some common interests in the keyword department? 

There are cases where we come across websites that are entirely unfamiliar to us. For example, we recently had a link-building proposal for a blog we couldn’t gather data about, and their website authority scores fell below the threshold (<40).

In this case, I reply to their emails thanking them for reaching out and explaining that their domain doesn’t meet our criteria for link exchange. It’s not personal, it’s just a matter of maintaining our standards and quality in the link-building process.

The process for guest post exchanges follows a similar pattern but tends to be more time-consuming. 

It starts with identifying the best partners, using criteria similar to link building but with a bit more rigor. 

Then, we craft content for another blog according to their specific guidelines and patiently await their review and publication.

In our case, we adhere to the same process. However, it’s not uncommon for us to receive guest articles that aren’t aligned with our guidelines. As a result, our review process tends to be more demanding.

A Cup of Coffee With My Teammates

Our daily routines might seem pretty alike, but you know how it is—everyone’s got their own take. 

So, I went ahead and asked my colleagues this: “What’s a regular workday like for you as an SEO pro at Rock Content?” Here’s what they shared:

“Usually, I spend the mornings conducting keyword research and creating content while my mind is still fresh. Once my engines are running, I take some time to analyze our weekly results and figure out what is working and what needs improvement. A few technical tasks might also pop up here and there, such as addressing issues flagged by Google Search Console. Although SEO is all about consistency and routine, our days at Rock Content are very dynamic. We’re constantly collaborating with teams like Growth and Product, to better understand user search intent and experience, and align those to our business goals.” Júlia Araújo.

“My routine typically involves checking Analytics numbers in the morning, assessing the week’s tasks, and establishing task priorities. Although we have a very constant routine with our editorial calendar, sometimes SEO news arises – like Google updates, for example, and I need to take a look at these points, discuss, analyze, and share them with the team. So, in short, the routine is made up of many tasks, but my days are never exactly the same thing.” Diana Martins.

Júlia brought up something really important: collaborating with other teams. This is indeed a big deal for us, and it often leads to some great results.

For instance, let me tell you about this checklist I put together with the growth team. They were in charge of creating the landing page for downloading the material, and they used some savvy email marketing tricks to promote it.

Guess what happened? We got a whopping 740 downloads in just one month and 8 MQLs. How cool is that?

Diana also pointed out the need to stay in the loop with the latest news that can have an impact on our work (and believe me, they do from time to time). She even wrote about Google’s most recent core update that rolled out last month.

A Few Remarks Before I Clock Out

The clock is ticking, and it’s almost time for me to call it a day. I hope you’ve had fun delving into a day in the life of an SEO expert at Rock Content.

If you’re also part of this exciting field, I’m curious to know if our routines align. 

And if you’re considering diving into the world of SEO, I hope this article has sparked some inspiration or at least shed some light on whether this path is your cup of tea or not.

Just a quick reminder: this wasn’t a step-by-step tutorial, and I apologize if that’s what you were expecting. But hey, no hard feelings, right? I never promised a tutorial in the first place.

One thing I almost forgot to mention is that, apart from our usual tasks, we SEO professionals at Rock Content occasionally get the chance to shine in webinars or create videos for social media.

It’s a fantastic opportunity to put ourselves out there and our knowledge to the test.

Before I bid adieu, I want to stress the significance of teamwork and collaboration. It’s a big deal here at Rock Content, and as SEO experts, we can’t do it alone.

And let’s not forget WriterAccess, the unsung hero that simplifies our lives. By the way, if your company could use a smoother content production process, I invite you to give it a spin with a free 14-day trial.

Well, that’s a wrap, folks! No overtime today.

The post A Day in The Life of An SEO Expert at Rock Content: What Does an SEO Specialist Do? appeared first on Rock Content.

How can one app in this vast sea of options stand out in the user’s selective eye? The answer is mobile app SEO and ASO.

Just like any other brand, mobile apps also need their websites optimized in order to be found and trusted by users. However, this niche comes with an extra channel to be explored and optimized, the application stores themselves and their listings.

Next, let’s explore how mobile app brands can leverage SEO and ASO to improve brand visibility and authority, and ultimately increase downloads and purchases.

SEO for Mobile Apps

Some mobile apps are built by large software development enterprises and start their marketing journey with the brand’s popularity backing its authority. Even so, most applications out there are actually being deployed by startups or even indie developers, and need a few extra tricks to become relevant among all available options.

A great way to raise awareness over an app’s usability, relevancy, and trustworthiness is through a well-built website, filled with high-value content. Such content will feed the potential user with all critical information to push the download and purchase decision-making process, as of:

• How the app works
• Its benefits and use cases
• Who is building it
• How the user’s data will be processed and protected
• And more.

However, no web content will ever be good enough on its own to hit Google’s highest positions without some SEO tactics behind it. SEO ensures that your mobile app’s website will reach the right audience and increase the demand, downloads, and ultimately subscriptions or acquisitions.

But when it comes to mobile apps, brands not only have to work on their SEO but also on their ASO, to potentialize their explore on both search engines and application stores.

What is App Store Optimization (ASO)?

App Store Optimization or ASO is the process of optimizing mobile apps to rank higher in app store search results.

It involves enhancing various elements of your app’s listing to attract more visibility and organic downloads. This strategy includes keyword optimization, compelling visuals, engaging descriptions, and other tactics designed to captivate potential users.

ASO works hand-in-hand with SEO, ensuring that your app not only appears prominently in search engine results but also ranks high within app stores. By mastering ASO, you can significantly enhance your app’s discoverability, thereby increasing your chances of attracting valuable users who are genuinely interested in your app’s offerings.

Main Benefits of Mobile App SEO and ASO

Leveraging mobile app SEO and ASO can significantly elevate your app’s standing, ensuring it doesn’t just survive but thrives in the fiercely competitive digital market.

Let’s delve deeper into the detailed benefits of these strategies and understand how they can transform your app’s marketing performance.

Improving Brand Reach on Google

Being featured in Google’s first-page search results is the golden ticket to reach your ideal audience.

This achievement will not only increase organic traffic and conversions but also enhance your chance to establish your brand as the best app choice for your category. It will help you to connect with the right customers, fostering trust and recognition.

Appearing on App Packs

App Packs are curated showcases in Google’s SERP. These are groups of apps suggested by Google in mobile search results—a platform where users often discover new and exciting applications.

When your app is part of these exclusive packs, it gains instant visibility. Users encounter your app’s icon, name, downloads, and rating—all key elements that influence their decision to explore further. When Google recommends your app, its credibility skyrockets, instantly enhancing its popularity and attracting a broader user base.

Enhancing Visibility on App Stores

ASO ensures that your app isn’t lost in the depths of app stores’ listings. When users seek solutions online, Google frequently suggests relevant apps, and ASO ensures your app is among these recommendations.

By optimizing your app’s listing, ASO significantly amplifies your app’s visibility. It places your app in the spotlight, making it easily discoverable by potential users, thus expanding your reach organically.

Growing Organic Downloads

Organic downloads will happen when users find your app naturally, without relying on advertisements. Mobile App SEO and ASO work in harmony to guide users looking for apps similar to yours.

Through careful keyword optimization, your app emerges as a relevant solution, directing interested users straight to your app’s page. This targeted approach ensures that users downloading your app are genuinely interested, leading to higher download rates and increased user satisfaction.

Increasing Revenue Opportunities

Wider visibility doesn’t just mean more downloads; it translates into tangible revenue growth. When your app is readily discovered by relevant users, the number of downloads and user engagement soars.

Unlike expensive advertising campaigns, a well-executed SEO strategy guarantees stable growth and revenue enhancement. It boosts your brand’s mental and physical availability in the online world, ensuring that your app will become the users’ go-to choice when in need.

5 In-Depth Tips for Elevating Your Mobile App SEO and ASO Game

When it comes to Mobile App SEO, success lies in the details. To ensure your app not only gets noticed but also becomes a user favorite, consider these in-depth tips that delve deep into the world of optimization.

1. Strategic Keyword Optimization

Dive into extensive research to identify keywords intricately related to your app’s niche. These keywords should naturally find their way into your app’s title, description, and metadata.

Conduct regular keyword analyses, ensuring you keep pace with ever-changing trending search terms. By aligning your app with the language your users speak, you enhance its discoverability and relevance.

2. Captivating App Descriptions and Visual Storytelling

Crafting a compelling app description is key. It’s not just about listing features; it’s about weaving a narrative that entices users.

Highlight the app’s unique features and benefits, addressing potential users’ pain points directly. But it’s not just about words; it’s also about visuals. Utilize high-quality screenshots and videos to offer users a visual preview of your app’s functionality.

In the digital world, seeing is believing. The more visually appealing your app appears, the higher the chances of users hitting that download button.

3. Optimizing Website Loading Speed

Users are inherently impatient and mobile users are even worse. If your website takes too long to load or isn’t mobile-friendly, they won’t hesitate to abandon ship. Optimizing your website’s (and app’s) loading speed is non-negotiable.

Dive deep into the technical aspects of your website. Compress images without compromising quality, minimize the use of heavy plugins, and leverage efficient hosting services.

A snappy, responsive website not only keeps users engaged but also briefs them on what to expect from the app.

4. Nurturing Reviews and User-Generated Content

UGC and positive reviews are long-known product marketing strategies that have performed well to this date. They not only enhance your app’s credibility but also serve as testimonials of user satisfaction.

Actively encourage happy users to leave positive reviews. More importantly, address negative feedback with professionalism and dedication.

When users witness your commitment to resolving issues, it not only salvages user experience but also showcases your app’s dedication to customer satisfaction. Transparency and responsiveness foster trust, leading to a loyal user base.

5. Harnessing the Power of Social Media

Social media platforms are impressively relevant for SEO. Engage with potential users, share regular updates, and curate compelling content directly related to your app’s niche.

Not only does it drive organic traffic to your app, but it also enhances your app’s visibility. By providing valuable, shareable content, you transform users into advocates, organically expanding your app’s reach.

Content Ideas for Mobile App Brands

Engaging content is the key to building a loyal user base and establishing a strong brand presence. Here are five innovative content ideas tailored for mobile app brands to spark user interest, foster trust, and enhance visibility:

How-to Guides and Tutorials

Create comprehensive, step-by-step guides that showcase your app’s features. Educate users on how to maximize their experience, encouraging them to explore and engage deeply with your app.

By providing detailed tutorials, you empower users, ensuring they make the most out of your app’s functionalities.

User Success Stories

Showcase stories of satisfied users who have benefited from your app. These testimonials act as social proof, adding authenticity to your brand and building trust among potential users.

Real-life success stories create a relatable connection, increasing the likelihood of downloads as users envision themselves experiencing similar positive outcomes.

Behind-the-Scenes Sneak Peeks

Take your audience behind the scenes of your app’s development process. Share the dedication and effort invested in creating your app.

These sneak peeks humanize your brand, making it more relatable and approachable. Users appreciate the transparency, establishing a deeper connection with your app and the team behind it.

Industry Insights and Trends

Stay updated with industry trends and share relevant insights with your audience. Position your app as a solution to current challenges by providing expert analysis and industry knowledge.

By demonstrating your app’s relevance and usefulness in the context of industry trends, you showcase your app as a forward-thinking and essential choice for users.

Interactive Contests and Challenges

Host interactive contests and challenges related to your app’s functionality. Engage users and encourage their active participation.

These events create a buzz around your app, fostering excitement and increasing its visibility on social media platforms. User engagement is heightened as participants interact with your app, generating organic interest and driving downloads.

Wrap-Up

Although product-led marketing strategies for mobile apps tend to rely on ad campaigns and other growth tactics, SEO and ASO still play a relevant part in demand generation. By taking the time to create a captivating app store listing and high-value web content, you’ll be setting your app apart from all others.

Luckily, the WriterAccess marketplace provides companies with the right copywriters to make their brands stand out. Whether you need blog posts, social media content, or app copy, you can count on our freelance writers to get the job done.

Find the perfect professional for your project during our free trial. Get started now!

The post Mobile App SEO and ASO: 5 Tips to Boost Traffic and Downloads appeared first on Rock Content.

Techniques to optimize your visual content to better rank in search results pages. Are you familiar with them?

If your answer is no, it is about time to change that. Especially after a change within Google, that can significantly increase your traffic via images. 

Since 1 in every 3 Internet searches involves images, there is a huge potential for network traffic to be achieved with Google Images. If your site is prepared for this, your results can be amazing.

But for this, it is necessary to take a series of steps to adapt your images to Google’s strict requirements. 

To help you, we have prepared a complete guide. Here, you will see:

Why use SEO for Google Images on your blog or corporate website?

We can’t lie: working to optimize your media files for search engines is very tiring.

Is it worth it? Is SEO for Google Images rewarding, and will it bring advantages to your Content Marketing strategy? 

We believe so, and we’ve got 3 excellent arguments to convince you too!

It’s an additional source of traffic

In 2013, Google announced a change in the Google Images system, implementing a “View Image” button. 

If the user clicked there, he was directed to the URL of the image in question, not visiting its source site.

In the months following this change, the general traffic of visits by Google Image dropped a lot. However, in February 2020, the company announced a new change that reversed the situation: there is no longer a “See image” button, which forces users to access the sites to find the full-size media.

The result? An overall increase of 37% in site visits via Google Images. 

Impressive, isn’t it?

With this new flow of people being directed to sites, whoever manages to stand out in Google Images can gain an additional traffic source.

It helps your content to go viral

They say that a picture is worth a thousand words. It may not even be true, but visual elements hold incredible power to go viral.

For example, posts with images usually gain 650% more engagement than articles with just words.

More engagement means more chances for content to go viral, increasing your online reach.

But for this to happen, people need to find your images on Google. And that will only happen after optimization — and a lot of work.

Reduce the loading time of your site

Even if you have no interest in capturing traffic through Google Images, you may benefit from this article’s tips.

We’ll talk about this later, but one of the SEO techniques for images involves decreasing files’ size. 

With lightweight photos, your page loads faster, which improves the user experience and is rewarded by Google.

In other words: working with SEO for Google Images helps your site as a whole to rank better.

So, are you convinced now? If so, keep reading this article to learn how to better rank your images on the internet!

Now that you have understood the importance of working on SEO for Google Images on your website or blog, the big question is: how do I do this? What are the best practices to ensure a good ranking of your images?

Below, we list the best tips to optimize your images’ ranking, taking into account the elements considered by Google. Check them out!

20 Tips to Improve Your Google Image SEO Rankings

1. Name of the image file

The first element for the ranking of your images starts on your computer, even before the image is uploaded to your servers: the name of the file.

To optimize your images for Google, we need to understand the limitations of search engine crawlers. 

They are excellent for understanding text and the relevance of certain content using an algorithm and giving value to keywords.

However, they are still learning to read images. In fact, think a little about this problem: how does one communicate an image’s content to a bot?

For example, imagine that a crawler will read the HTML code of your new article, which talks about the different types of bags available on the market.

You select a beautiful image of a handbag to illustrate the excerpt that explains this type of suitcase to your reader. 

However, the file name is “IMG448.png”. What the crawler will have access to is this:

• <img src=”IMG448.png”/>

As you can see, this information is not very useful in explaining the content of the image you used in the article. Now see how the code would look if the file was better named:

•  <img src=”brown_leather_handbag.png”/>

Even without seeing the image, we can imagine what it looks like with a name like that, right?

2. Image caption

Did you know that captions under images are read, on average, 300% more than the content of the text itself?

This means that captions are excellent opportunities to engage your readers. And so is Google.

The search engine itself admits it uses captions to extract information to then try to understand the image. 

Remember that the crawler can’t see the image? So, any written element will help communicate with the AI what is in that content.

This does not mean that you should place captions on 100% of the images in your articles, but you should use this feature every time you try to rank a specific visual file.

The secret to writing a good caption is to insert information that:

• helps to understand the content of the image;
• includes the keyword that you want to rank;
• complements the content of the article.

Let’s return to our example of the text about different bags. The same photo of a brown leather handbag can illustrate two types of content: one with suitcases for work and another for tourists.

A good caption for an article with tips for travelers would be something like this:

“The traveler can carry a handbag of up to 22 lb on the plane”.

This caption explains the content of the image (it’s a handbag), includes the keyword we want (“handbag”), and complements the content of the article by specifying that it is a photo that relates to handbags and tourism.

3. Alt text

All images on the internet have an ALT attribute, which is used to describe their content.

This is the most important factor in doing SEO for Google Images.

The alt text serves to describe the content of the image in question. It is useful because it helps people with visual impairments (and those who use screen readers) to understand the content, but it is also displayed when the user’s browser cannot load the image file for some reason.

It is also another factor that Google uses to try to understand an image and its relevance to the user.

When writing the content of the alt attribute, it is important to describe what is in the image objectively and briefly, preferably using the keyword we want to rank (but without excesses). See an example:

• bad: <img src=”brown_leatherhandbag.png” alt=””/>
• bad: <img src=”brown_leather_bag.png” alt=”brown leather handbag backpack best brands unmissable prices” />
• good: <img src=”brown_leather_skin bag.png” alt=”brown leather handbag placed in the luggage compartment of an airplane” />

4. Context of the image

According to Google, one of the elements of SEO for Google Images is the context in which the image is used.

The figure must be added to your article in the part where it is most relevant.

This is because Google’s algorithm uses the content of paragraphs near the image as a context to understand its content.

So, if you are talking about “Best Plants for an Apartment”, for example, it is recommended to insert a picture of one of these plants in context.

The same picture won’t be very useful, nor will it have the same strength if added near paragraphs about “types of pots” or “gardening tools”.

5. URL of the image

Remember when we mentioned the importance of structuring your site’s URL correctly to better rank on Google? The logic is the same when we talk about images.

That’s why the tips we gave before are also useful when we want to rank in Google Images.

The important thing is to organize the URL of your media files logically and concisely, to quickly communicate to the search engine that that is an image and its content.

6. Image engagement

Imagine you search for “children’s backpacks” in Google Images. You start looking at the results, and a specific photo catches your attention at the bottom of the list: it’s a blue backpack with a funny sticker placed on it.

You click on the image, then go to the page where it is hosted to read the article.

A few weeks later, you do the same search and, surprise, that image that used to be at the end of the results, is now on top. What happened?

Basically, your click (and that of many people) informed Google that that image is relevant. 

In this case, the funny sticker caught your attention and that of other users, which generated more clicks and relevance to the photo.

That is why it is important to use original and impactful images on your site and optimize them for ranking. Those are the figures that will generate more engagement and rank better.

7. Image dimensions

Test it right now: open a new tab in your browser and look for some image in Google. It could be, for example, “puppies”.

Have you noticed any patterns other than the fact that all the photos are extremely cute? 

If you paid attention, you might have noticed that the vast majority of the images shown have more or less the same dimensions.

Google tends to favor rectangular images, in proportions like 16:9 or 4:3.

This makes dimensions like 1366 x 768 (16:9) or 720 x 480 (4:3) rank better than images totally out of pattern (like something very horizontal or very vertical).

If these dimensions seem familiar to you, it’s because they are: 16:9 and 4:3 formats are usually used in video resolutions such as TVs, movies, and on YouTube itself.

8. File size

You already know that the loading time of a page is an essential factor for ranking it on Google. The slower it is, the worse the positioning. 

The faster, the better.

What you may not already know is that the images on a page are the main factor influencing its loading time.

This means that lightweight images rank better than larger files, which creates the need to compress and reduce your media’s file size.

There are tools to help you do this work. The most famous is Photoshop, by Adobe, but it is a paid software. 

Check below a list of free alternatives that do the same job:

• Optimizilla;
• Kraken.io;
• TinyPNG;
• JPEGmini;
• jpeg.io;
• ImageOptim.

9. Image Metadata

Every image has a certain amount of information stored in it, usually generated by the device that captured it.

A photo taken with a camera stores information such as exposure time, the aperture size of the shutter, whether you used a flash or not, etc.

This information is called metadata and is useful for many things, but it is not very important if we are not talking about the technical aspects of photography.

That’s why it’s vital to clean up these metadata that aren’t so important to you, decrease their size, and make your loading time faster.

You can do this very easily:

• click with the right button on the image file on your computer, going to Properties;

• then, go to Details. You will find an option to remove the metadata from the file;

•  select one by one or check them all at once, and that’s it!

10. Image sharing

A curious factor that increases the ranking of an image is the number of times the media has been reproduced on other sites via embeds.

Embed is an HTML tag that allows a media file (photo, music, video) from one site to be embedded on another page. 

The more this happens with an image, the more Google sees it as relevant and better the ranking becomes.

This is extremely useful when we make infographics and other rich visual materials. A good idea is to facilitate and encourage the embedding of these media in other pages to improve their ranking in Google Images.

11. Positioning the image on the page

We have already mentioned that the image’s position in the article in which it is inserted is essential for your Google ranking. 

This is because the paragraphs’ content next to the figure helps to provide context to the search engine.

However, another positioning element ensures a better or worse ranking for an image: whether it is near the top of the page or not.

Google recommends that the main image of your article, the one that best complements your content, should be near the top of your page. This way, it will have the biggest impact on the ranking and will strengthen the keyword you want to highlight.

12. Texts inside the image

Google does not recommend placing a large amount of text inside the image you want to rank. This happens for two reasons:

1. search engine crawlers cannot read this content. This makes it “useless” in terms of ranking since it is only available to the user;
2. this text is not available to Google machine translation tools, which can worsen the user’s accessibility and experience, which affects the ranking of the page.

The search engine recommends that important text be in HTML, accessible to the crawler, and offering context for the images.

In the case of infographics, it is important to remember that they should be accompanied by articles that have useful information and explain the content, providing the context that Google requests.

13. Responsive Images

For some time now, more searches have been made on Google from mobile devices such as a smartphone or tablet than from desktops.

Mobile devices are no longer the “future of the Internet”, but the present. And if your site is not responsive to suit that, then you have a big ranking problem on your hands.

Sites that are not responsive are penalized by Google and do not appear prominently in mobile devices’ searches. The same happens with images in Google Images.

If you use a version of WordPress higher than 4.4 to manage your website or blog, this is not a problem for you, because this version already formats images as responsive by default.

However, if this is not your case, you should do it manually using the srcset attribute. Google teaches you how to do it on this page!

14. Relevance of the image

The advances in artificial intelligence to identify an image’s content are impressive, but its application in the market is still hesitant. Today, there are only a few bots or algorithms that can “read” a photo.

With Google, it is the same thing, as we have already said. The difference is that the Google Images algorithm can already do some kind of visual search to identify whether or not that image is what the user is looking for.

The system is not very sophisticated, but it is good enough to not show a puppy image (even with all possible SEO optimization) in an “Eiffel Tower” search, for example.

So use the image you really want to use. If it is an article about car sales, use an image of a car and not just any photo of another subject.

15. Structured data

Google Images uses the structured data system to create certain “stamps of prominence” to optimize the users’ experience.

It works like this: if you make an article from one of the themes compatible with Google stamps, you can use the structured data in your images. 

This way, they will earn the stamp and indicate to the user that it is exactly what they are looking for.

Google Images is compatible with 3 types of structured data:

• videos;
• recipes;
• products.

If your image is related to one of these subjects, you can use the structured data to earn the stamp and see your image ranked better on Google Images.

For example: if you have a recipe website specialized in chocolate, you can use the structured data to earn your images the “recipe” stamp. 

So if someone searches for “chocolate cake recipe” on Google Images, they will have a greater chance to enter your site because the photo will indicate that it is what the person wants.

16 .Open Graph and Twitter Card

Remember we said that the more your site’s image is incorporated into other pages, the more relevant it is to Google?

Well, it is. If you create quality content, it will be shared organically by your readers on social networks. 

This means you can have your images incorporated over and over again with these shares.

To do this, you must correctly set up the meta tags of the images for social networks through Facebook Open Graph and Twitter Card.

17. Image Sitemap

A sitemap is an essential tool for the SEO of your page. It indicates to the Google crawler the hierarchy within your site and how to read its content on a priority basis.

You probably have one of these on your blog or website. But did you know that you can create a unique sitemap for your images? 

Google itself recommends this. The search engine encourages and teaches how to create an image sitemap to facilitate the crawler’s work of finding your media files and, of course, ensure a better ranking for your site.

18. SafeSearch

Each time an image or page is marked as negative or blocked by a user, Google marks a “negative dot” for your site’s SEO or the media in question.

As the internet has basically everything in it, it is common for parents to be concerned about the content their children have access to online. 

For this, Google created SafeSearch, which filters out materials inappropriate for children from their search results.

Therefore, if an image inappropriate for minors is displayed on a SafeSearch device, that content will be marked as negative and blocked. And this will decrease their overall ranking.

That’s why if your site works with images that are unsuitable for minors, you need to indicate them to Google so that you don’t suffer punishments. 

One of the simplest ways to do this is to group all these media in a common URL location.

For example:

• http//www.yoursite.com/adult/image.png

Then, in your image sitemap, indicate to Google that that content is adult.

Another way is to use metadata to mark your pages as adult content. All images there will be filtered by SafeSearch and will not be displayed to users with the system activated, which prevents you from suffering punishment.

19. Image format

Not every image format can be captured by Google Images. Therefore, use the correct format if you want to be ranked properly.

The accepted ones are the following:

• JPEG;
• PNG;
• MBP;
• GIF;
• WebP;
• SVG;
• in-line images.

Formats like TIFF or Raw, most used in professional photography, do not appear in Google Images.

The most used format is JPEG because it has the highest compression capacity and can deliver files with small sizes. However, as a negative point, it does not work with transparencies, such as GIFs and PNGs.

20. General site ranking factors

We have listed so far 20 factors exclusive to SEO for Google Images. But what makes Google’s algorithm so rich and effective is that everything is contextualized.

This means that one element favors or harms others, and the idea is that everything works together to get the best possible result. 

That is: your site’s general ranking factors contribute to the performance of the media in Google Images.

If your page is optimized to appear on Google, then you will earn points in image searches. If not, you will have problems getting consistent results with your media.

That’s why it’s ideal to do a complete job, covering all the elements around your site.

Do you want to know how to do it? Then check out our complete SEO guide!

The post SEO for Google Images: 20 Tips to Improve Rankings and Drive Traffic appeared first on Rock Content.

One thing marketers get wrong with SEO is that trends are fluid. The keyword you used even six months ago may no longer be the one to offer the best results. That’s why doing regular content audits and updates is essential. 

Google Trends is a powerful tool to keep in your toolbox, and it’s free. The trick is to know how to use it for SEO. This article will provide tips on getting the most out of your SEO with a Google Trends search. 

What Is Google Trends? 

Google Trends is a tool Google offers to show you what’s hot and what’s not in searches both on the engine and YouTube. You enter a keyword you want to use in your content, and Trends allows you to see how it is trending. 

For example, if you were to enter the keyword “coffee drinks,” you would see it is pretty much always trending. It is a little more prevalent in some states, such as Hawaii, Washington, and Kansas. It is a bit less popular in places like New York.

What about “specialty coffee flavors”? That might seem like a good choice, but Trends tells you it gets almost no searches. If you enter “Mocha coffee bean,” it has had a surge just recently.  

Google Trends allows you to fine-tune your SEO to ensure you drive the right kind of traffic to your web pages. 

Navigating Google Trends Interface

You don’t need a Masterclass to understand Google trends. Here are some facts that will help you define how it works:

• It does not show search volume. It provides a scale from 0 to 100 that shows a search term’s relevance. Zero is no relevance, and 100 is the highest.
• Trends pull data from five places to create the scale rating: web searches, image searches, Google News, Google Shopping, and YouTube. You can narrow the search down to just one of these using the dropdown menu at the top of the results page. 
• You can also narrow down the location, time frame, and categories using a dropdown menu. Categories refer to industries such as entertainment or beauty. 

How to Use Google Trends

Simply type the keyword you are researching into the search bar and hit enter. Google Trends will show you search results in two ways.

First, you see a graph of the scale rating from 0 to 100. It is easy to see if the keyword is blowing up right now. Hover over the lines on the graph to determine the specific rating for a particular date. 

If you scroll down, it will show you how the keyword faired in each state. Hover over the states to get specific information. 

Scroll down further to find related topics and queries and their ratings. This gives you an idea of what keywords you might pair with your search or even replace them to get better results. 

How to Use Google Trends for SEO Strategy

There is a lot to unpack in a Google Trends search. It takes you beyond just trending keywords. You’ll want to spend some time and figure out how it can help you develop your SEO strategy. Here are some of the best uses for Google Trends. 

Topic Ideation

The most potent section on Google Trends’s search page is the list of related topics and queries. 

Let’s go back to the search for “coffee drinks.” The related topics show:

• Flat white – drink
• Batida – Cocktail
• Constipation – Syndrome
• Sugar-free drinks – Drink
• Rum – Liquor

These are all listed as “Breakout.” That means the search term grew by 5,000%, according to Google News Initiative. You can use that information for topic ideation.

For instance, a flat white drink is a popular coffee option in specialty shops. It is a blend of micro-foamed milk over a shot of espresso. If your brand sells gourmet coffee to consumers or coffee shops, this could be a blog topic that moves you to the top of the search ratings. 

If you click on Flat white – Drink, it will search that term for you. The related topics sections show that the flat white recipe is up 70%. You could add that to your product page or even labels. 

Related Keywords

You can add one or two of those breakout terms to your content to move that page up in the search ratings. Be careful relying too heavily on breakout terms, though. They can be fads and unstable. Flat white might start to drop in a week. 

Look for consistency. Use the time selections option to understand how stable the trend might be.

Break Big Topics Down

Google Trends is a practical tool to use when you need to whittle down a large topic. Creating a blog on just coffee drinks isn’t going to help your SEO much.

You can use Trends to find out what people are interested in regarding that large topic. That takes you from one blog to several or even a series.

Use the Category Option

Using the category option gives you even more topic ideas. It can also help you target your audience. If you switch to the “health” category in the coffee drinks search, the related topics and queries change to best suit that industry. 

Using the various dropdown menus can add context to your searches. That will allow you to understand their relevance better. Remember that every other brand gets this data for that keyword search. Using the dropdown menus is how you make it unique for your needs. 

Google Trends is a tool that can help you improve your SEO and costs you nothing but time. It shouldn’t be the only tool you use, though. You’ll need quality content and to practice good overall SEO to see results. 

WriterAccess can help you scale your content production. You can get a 14-day WriterAccess trial to see how we can help you better understand SEO and content marketing. 

The post How to Use Google Trends for SEO? appeared first on Rock Content.

This algorithm generates an indicator used by automated ranking systems, allowing original and useful content to appear with higher rankings for users in search results.

Learn how this update can affect your website and online content!

What Is the Helpful Content System Update?

The purpose of this update is to display increasingly better content for people searching on Google’s SERP. Google announced that this update aims to “address material that appears to have been primarily created to gain better rankings in search results.” In other words, Google will remove from top rankings content primarily created using black hat SEO strategies, content made solely with the intention of ranking high on the search engine.

The company also emphasized that this update is meant to “ensure that non-authentic and lower-quality content is not favored in search results.”

So, if you’re producing content solely to improve visibility and traffic on search engines, it’s likely that your site will be affected by this update. Additionally, it’s important to note that this update does not discriminate by language; websites in other languages are not exempt from its impact.

Here are the key points added to Google’s helpful content guidelines:

• Reduced requirements for guidelines on machine-generated content (AI);
• Hosting third-party content on subdomains;
• Providing additional guidance on what to do if your site loses traffic due to a helpful content update.

How Does Google’s Helpful Content System Affect Traffic? What to Do If Your Site Is Affected?

Here at Rock Content, since September 14th, after the update was announced, we have already seen some positive changes, albeit small. Within about a day of the update, we experienced a 7.85% improvement in keywords in our rankings and a 12.39% increase in new keywords compared to the previous day (September 13th).

Since May of this year, we have been working diligently on updating old content and focusing on creating new content that can be of great value to our readers.

I understand that no update works miracles alone and is not solely responsible when declines occur. Both the latest Core Update and now this Helpful Content update are much more effective when we follow Google’s best practices.

My Site Is Affected. What Now?

If your SEO strategies still focus solely on ranking on the first pages, it’s a fact that, at some point, you will see a drop occur.

So, what can you do for better results, or what if your site is affected? It’s simple! We’ve talked several times here about the importance of content updates, thinking about an editorial calendar with new content that truly delivers value to the user, and not producing overly mechanical content.

Additionally, something I have emphasized here is that you should always follow the source of these changes: Google itself and the official pages of Search Central.

One of the changes in Google’s guidelines regarding this update and if your site is affected was:

“If you’ve noticed a traffic change that you suspect is related to this helpful content system, you should self-assess your content and fix or remove anything that appears unhelpful. Our help page on creating helpful, reliable content that prioritizes people has questions you can use to self-assess your content for success with the helpful content system.”

Also, check out the guide on creating helpful, reliable content that prioritizes people. Remember that any changes you make today won’t show positive results tomorrow. Things can take a few months to become more stable, just like all or most SEO results.

Want to stay updated with the best marketing practices? Then subscribe to The Beat, Rock Content’s interactive newsletter. There, you’ll find all the trends that matter in the Digital Marketing landscape. See you there!

The post Google’s Helpful Content System Updated in September appeared first on Rock Content.

In this article, we’ll delve into domain authority in detail. I want to explain what it is, why it matters, and how to optimize your domain with an eye on search engine rankings.

Whether you’re a novice or an SEO expert, this content will help you make the most of this metric and improve your search engine results. Keep reading and learn how to effectively utilize domain authority.

What Is Domain Authority?

Domain Authority (DA) is a metric developed by Moz, primarily designed to assess a website’s credibility and relevance in the eyes of search engines like Google. This metric is represented by a score ranging from 0 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater domain authority.

This metric is not directly used in search engine algorithms. In other words, domain authority isn’t a ranking factor. However, it serves as an indicator that helps predict how a site may be ranked on search engine results pages (SERPs).

In summary, the higher a site’s score, the greater the likelihood of achieving higher positions in search results. Stick with me, and the following lines will break down this metric further.

Factors Influencing Domain Authority

Several variables come into play when determining a site’s Domain Authority. Here are some of the most influential factors:

• Quality and Quantity of Backlinks: One of the most critical factors is the number and quality of backlinks pointing to your site. Backlinks from reputable sites related to your niche tend to boost your online credibility.
• Content Quality: Having high-quality, relevant, and up-to-date content is essential. Sites with useful and informative content typically attract more links and, consequently, have a higher Domain Authority.
• User Experience: Your site’s usability, loading speed, responsive design, and ease of navigation also play a significant role in this ranking. Sites that offer an excellent user experience are more likely to attract visitors and links.
• Domain Age: Older sites tend to have higher Domain Authority than newly created ones. This is because search engines consider the domain’s history.
• Social Media: Presence and engagement on social media can also impact Domain Authority. Social shares and mentions can indicate the relevance and popularity of your content.

There you have it! A more detailed understanding of this metric.

Can you envision your site’s strength now that we know what this gauge is all about? Take a mental leap and try to estimate a grade for your site’s quality.

Afterward, check your domain authority and compare it to your expectations. And don’t forget to compare it with your competitors’ domain authority! Next, I’ll provide a step-by-step guide on how to find this number using the most popular SEO tools.

Step-by-Step Guide to Checking Domain Authority

Moz

1. Visit Moz’s website and log in to your account or create one if you haven’t already.
2. In the navigation bar, go to the “Research Tools” section and click on “Link Explorer.”
3. On the Link Explorer page, you’ll find a field to enter your site’s URL. Enter the URL and click “Analyze.”
4. Wait while Moz collects data about your site. Then, you’ll see the Domain Authority score displayed on the page, along with other relevant information.

Semrush

1. Access Semrush’s website and log in to your account or sign up for a free trial if needed.
2. In the navigation bar, go to the “SEO” section and click on “Domain Overview.”
3. Enter your site’s URL in the appropriate field and click “Search.”
4. Semrush will provide an overview of your domain, including the Domain Authority score, along with other important SEO data.

Ahrefs

1. Visit Ahrefs’ website and log in to your account or start a free trial.
2. In the dashboard, you’ll see a search field. Enter your site’s URL and press “Enter.”
3. Ahrefs will display a domain overview page, including the Domain Authority score, along with various other SEO metrics.

These are the basic steps to check your site’s domain authority using Moz, Semrush, and Ahrefs. Remember that some of these tools may have limitations in their free versions, and you may need a paid subscription to access all the information.

How to Improve Domain Authority?

Now that you understand what influences this measurement, it’s time to learn how to enhance it.

Build Quality Backlinks: Focus on creating a link-building strategy by seeking links from reputable sites related to your niche. Avoid fraudulent link-building practices, as they can harm your Domain Authority.

1. Produce High-Quality Content: Invest in creating relevant, informative, and valuable content for your target audience. This will encourage other sites to link to your content.
2. Optimize User Experience: Ensure that your site is fast, secure, and responsive on mobile devices. A pleasant user experience attracts visitors and improves your Domain Authority.
3. Engage on Social Media: Be active on social media and share your content. Social engagement can increase your site’s visibility and attract traffic.
4. Stay Updated: Keep up with SEO best practices and adapt your strategy as search engine algorithms evolve.

CTA Alert: Speaking of staying updated, subscribe to Rock Content’s newsletter, The Beat, to receive hot information about SEO and the world of content marketing.

Maximize Your Site’s Potential!

In conclusion, Domain Authority plays a vital role in SEO and your site’s ranking on search engines. Understanding how it works and how to positively influence it is essential for improving your online visibility.

Whether you’re a business or a marketing professional, investing in strategies that focus on your online reputation is a smart decision. This not only helps improve your position in SERPs but also attracts more qualified traffic and, ultimately, increases conversions.

Therefore, don’t underestimate the importance of Domain Authority in your SEO strategy. Implement the tips mentioned above and maximize your site’s potential for success in the competitive online world. Remember that SEO is an ongoing journey, and every effort to strengthen your site can yield significant returns in the long run.

The post Should You Worry About Domain Authority? Learn to Read and Use This SEO Metric Effectively appeared first on Rock Content.

For a long time, the main methods of attracting the attention of potential customers were paid for. But with the constant development of the internet, this scenario has certainly evolved towards a better one.

Nowadays, you can generate visits to a website without spending any money on ads or buying email lists — that’s what we call organic traffic.

Organic traffic is, with good reason, the main goal of many companies that include digital strategies in their effort to acquire customers.

Do you want to know why so many people care about it and how your business can also benefit from organic traffic? 

In this post, we will present:

Keep reading!

What Is Organic Traffic?

All the visits that a digital channel (like a company’s website or blog) receives are called traffic.

Organic traffic is essentially the visits you get without using ads.

Typically, this kind of traffic comes from search engines like Google and Bing.

However, it’s important to note that organic traffic isn’t entirely free because the strategies to attract these visits require both money and time.

The key distinction between organic traffic and paid traffic is that with organic traffic, you invest money and effort upfront for results that can continue to pay off over time.

For instance, a blog article may require time and resources to create, but it can yield ongoing results, while an ad only runs for as long as you continue to pay for it.

What Other Types of Traffic Can You Generate?

If you’ve ever accessed the Google Analytics panel, you’ve probably come across various types of traffic sources. But what do they actually mean?

In essence, website traffic is categorized into two main types: paid and organic, as mentioned earlier. However, the specific terms used help us understand how each visitor arrived at a particular page.

Aside from organic traffic, let’s delve into the meanings behind the other traffic sources:

• Paid: This refers to attracting visitors by placing ads on Google or on websites your target audience frequents.
• Direct: When someone accesses your site directly, without coming from another website. It’s still a form of organic traffic, since it doesn’t originate from paid sources.
• Social: This pertains to traffic originating from social media, often occurring when links are shared on these platforms, directing traffic to a website.
• Referral: When someone visits a page from any site that is not a search engine. For example, this happens with backlinks to an article on your blog.

What Are The Benefits of Investing in Organic Traffic?

Earlier in the article, we mentioned that organic traffic has become a primary focus for many companies investing in Digital Marketing.

Now, let’s explore the reasons behind this trend. Discover the benefits this strategy can bring to your business!

Cost-effectiveness

First and foremost, organic traffic contributes to reducing the costs of your marketing strategy compared to using advertisements.

As a result, the profit margin on sales is higher. Therefore, it’s safe to say that the cost-effectiveness of organic traffic is unmatched.

Scalability

Ads are not easily scalable. When you stop investing in them, your traffic dwindles.

Additionally, the cost of attracting a large number of qualified visitors may become prohibitive. With organic traffic, the opposite is true: the more visits you get, the lower your costs become.

How To Scale Your Content Production In 10 Steps

Relevance

Google clearly labels paid advertising, so users know when a result is an ad. As a consequence, users often perceive these pages as sales-focused, which can erode trust.

Organic results, on the other hand, are considered genuine and gain credibility right from the start.

Longevity

An organic strategy has no expiration date.

A single blog post can generate millions in sales over an extended period, a feat nearly impossible to achieve with the continuous costs of running paid traffic campaigns.

Relationship building

Paid traffic has its value, but it’s more suitable for those seeking immediate sales. If you want to build strong relationships and guide customers through the buying journey, organic traffic is the superior choice.

Consider the factors of cost, user trust, and scalability we’ve discussed.

What Are the Best Strategies Focused on Organic Traffic?

If you are already convinced that organic traffic is a good strategy to invest in, the only question on your mind at this time should be: “how to get visits organically?”.

And the answer is: with appropriate strategies, like the ones we show below!

Content Marketing

Content Marketing is one of the pillars of Digital Marketing. Today, the generation of organic traffic hardly happens without some type of content that interests the persona.

So, if you want to attract qualified visitors without resorting to paid sources, learn how Content Marketing works and what you need to do to apply it consistently.

SEO

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of enhancing your website’s visibility and ranking on search engines like Google.

It involves a set of strategies and techniques designed to make your website more accessible, relevant, and attractive to search engines, thereby increasing the likelihood of your website appearing in prominent positions on search engine results pages (SERPs).

Effective SEO not only makes your website easier to find by search engines but also improves its overall user experience, ensuring that it meets both search engine algorithms’ requirements and users’ needs.

But there’s no doubt that the effort is worth it: a site well-regarded by Google is a strong candidate to generate organic traffic.

Email marketing

Building a relationship with the people who access your content is the only way to turn simple visitors into leads and, later on, into customers.

Email marketing is one of the best channels to nurture the interest of your loyal audience with updated and relevant content.

And, with an email list, it’s easier to direct visits to your content.

7 Hacks to Boost Your Organic Traffic Generation

In addition to the strategies focused on acquiring organic traffic for your website or blog, there are other smaller yet essential approaches for achieving success.

Below, you’ll find five basic hacks that you need to follow to boost your company’s qualified organic traffic generation.

1. Prioritize your buyer persona

It’s not enough to create content solely based on what Google deems relevant while disregarding your buyer persona. After all, it’s essential to remember that those who will consume your content are real people.

Consider what your ideal customers want and need. Learn how they search for answers and tailor your content to align with their preferences and planning.

2. Develop a keyword strategy

Keywords are still crucial for achieving high rankings in search engines because they help these platforms understand what users are looking for and which content best fulfills those needs.

Regardless of the size of your blog, make keyword strategy a top priority from the beginning.

A keyword strategy involves identifying the specific words and phrases that your target audience is likely to use when searching for information related to your industry or offerings.

Once you’ve identified these keywords, you strategically incorporate them into your website’s content, including blog posts, product descriptions, and meta tags. Search engines, such as Google, use sophisticated algorithms to crawl and index web pages.

When a user enters a search query, the search engine matches that query with the keywords present on various web pages. Websites with well-optimized content that aligns with the user’s search query are more likely to appear prominently in search results.

Therefore, a strong keyword strategy not only improves your search engine ranking but also ensures that your content is precisely what potential customers are looking for when they initiate a search.

3. Craft evergreen content

Evergreen content refers to material that remains valuable and relevant to your audience over an extended period, often years.

To create evergreen content, focus on timeless topics, fundamental concepts, and subjects that don’t become quickly outdated. Examples include “how-to” guides, comprehensive tutorials, and in-depth explanations of core industry principles.

As a matter of fact, the very article you’re currently reading serves as an illustration of evergreen content.

When crafting evergreen content, avoid referencing specific dates or events that might become obsolete. Instead, emphasize fundamental knowledge and principles that withstand the test of time.

By consistently producing evergreen content, you can attract organic traffic continuously, as readers will find value in your content long after its initial publication.

WriterAccess is a content creation platform that can aid you with that. You can give it a try for free for 14 days and discover top-notch content creators who will elevate your content to the next level.

4. Craft compelling content descriptions for Google

Google provides the option to present content differently on search result pages to capture users’ attention.

You can customize the title of an article or page, as well as the meta description that appears on the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Optimize your content with copywriting techniques to persuade users and enhance the click-through rate.

5. Repurpose content into various formats

Your content should be highly relevant to your audience, but this doesn’t mean it has to be limited to a single format.

In fact, it’s recommended to adapt your content into different formats. The same material can be transformed into:

• blog posts;
• infographics;
• slide shows;
• videos;
• ebooks.

Each of these formats can be shared on channels that generate organic traffic.

6. Regularly update and refresh content

Organic traffic thrives on fresh and relevant content. Regularly revisit and update your existing content to keep it current and valuable. Search engines favor content that is up-to-date and informative.

When you consistently refresh and maintain your content, it can continue to attract organic traffic long after its initial publication, making it a valuable asset for your website or blog.

To regularly update and refresh your content, start by identifying articles or pages that are outdated or could benefit from new information.

Review the content for accuracy, relevance, and any changes in industry trends or data. Update statistics, examples, and any outdated information to ensure its current validity. Additionally, consider adding new sections, insights, or case studies to provide more value to your audience.

After making these updates, don’t forget to adjust the publication date to reflect the latest changes, signaling to search engines that your content is fresh. Finally, promote the refreshed content across your marketing channels to reach both new and existing audiences.

7. Dedicate time to promotion

This tip ties directly into the importance of dedicating significant effort to promoting your content across various traffic sources.

For every piece of content you create, consider promoting it widely. For instance, if you create a video, why limit its publication to just one platform? If it suits the platform’s identity, consider sharing it on YouTube, Vimeo, Facebook, TikTok, and of course, on your website.

Invest time in promoting your content. The more effort you put into this, the more people will discover your message and engage with your brand—without the need for paid advertisements.

Generating organic traffic demands time, research, and consistency in creating valuable content for your target audience. However, all the hard work is worthwhile because it yields consistent, scalable, and long-lasting results.

If your web pages rank well on Google, your chances of attracting organic traffic increase substantially. That’s why it’s crucial to understand and implement the primary SEO techniques. By clicking below, you can read and download our free guide on the subject now!

The post What Is Organic Traffic and Why It’s Crucial for Your Online Strategy appeared first on Rock Content.